Wheeled vehicle.



w. F. SCHMIDT.

WHEELED VEHICLE.

APPLICATIQN FILED FEB. 25. 1914.

1,146,107. l PatentedJuly 13, 1915.

' I 257 wf UNITED sTaTns PATENT oFFIcE.,

WILLIAM FRED scHMIDnoF PORTLAND, OREGON.

WHEELED VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 13, 1915.

Application filed February 25, 1914. Serial No. 820,839.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wheeled Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to'wagons and other wheel vehicles designed andadapted to be propelled by outside power, as by horses or the like, in the usual way.

` The object of the invention is to provide power means or mechanism for wagons and other vehicles having rolling traction with the ground and propelled by outside power, whereby, in emergency, asif the-road is in very bad conditionor on steep grades and the power available, whenl applied in the usual way, is not'sulficient to -propel said vehicle, said power maybe applied through said power means or mechanism and greatly increased, thereby providing means whereby said vehicle may traverse almost any road in which the obstructions and grades are not absolutely prohibitive.

To accomplish the foregoing object my invention comprises the various features, combinations of features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, in which my invention is fully illustrated, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear end of a wagon equipped with a power mechanism of my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial top plan view of the front end` thereof, the box being removed, showing means for securing the front axle against pivotal movement; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side view, illustrating the construction of the supporting means for my improved power mechanism.

For purposes of illustration, I have, in the accompanying drawing, shown my invention as applied to andembodied in a familiar form of wagon, commonlyknown as a farm wagon. As regardsits usual features and excepting as hereinafter particularly described, said wagon, or other vehicle to which my improved power mechanism is applied may be of any desired or` approved construction and will be readily understood from an examination ofthe 'drawing without a detailed description thereof.

In accordance with my invention, what may be termed a counter shaft 1 is rotatably Y mounted in suitable bearings formed. in

journal boxes 2 which are supported by means of suitable yconnection with the rear axle 3 of the vehicle. The counter shaft 1 is adapted to be connected with one and preferably with both rear wheels 4L of the wagon by means of suitable driving connection therewith consisting, -as shown, of pinions 5 secured to rotate with the counter shaftl, which are adapted to intermesh with gears 6 secured to rotate with `the rear wagon wheels 4. v

VThe journal boxes 2 in which the counter shaftl is supported are preferably connected to the rear axle 3 of the vwagon in such manner that said .shaft 1 may be quickly and convenientlyy shifted bodily either backward or forward,'to effect engagement and disengagement ofthe pinions 5 onlsaid shaft with the gears 6 securedto the rear wagon wheels 4, suitable means being provided for securing said journal boxes in `positions corresponding to engagement andy disengagement of said'pinions 5 vwith said gears v6. In the preferable construction shown, said journal boxes 2 are formed at the lowerends of links k7 pivoted at their upper ends to arms 8, rigidly` secured to and which project frontward from the rear axle 3 thus providing fory shifting said counter'. shaft 1 bodily, in the manner desired. Also, said journal boxes are adapted to be secured in positions y corresponding to engagementv and disengagement of the pinions 5. with the gears 6 by stop-pins 9 which are adapted to be inserted vinto holes in bars 10 likewise secured to and which project frontward from the rearaxle 3 of the vehicle in line with and directly beneathsaid journaly boxes'2. Asy shown in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 3, said pins 9 are inserted at the front sides of said journal boxes 2 in position to s ecure said journal boxes and the shaft 1 in position with the pinions 5in engagement with the gears 6.

lWhen the wagon is being drawn in the usual manner by `horses attached directly thereto in the usual manner, the counter shaft 1 is preferably moved frontward to disengage the pinions 5 ,from the gears 6, thus eliminating the resistance to the movement of the wagon orl other vehicleon account of the power absorbed in idly rotatinserting the pins 9 at the rear sides of said journal boxes, which will secure said journal boxes and the counter shaft l in position corresponding to disengagement of said pinions 5, in the manner desired. Said retracted position of said counter shaft 1 and pinions 5 is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

While I consider the construction shown as preferable, other means for accomplishing the objects sought will readily suggest themselves to expert mechanics, in view of my disclosure, and l do not therefore desire to limit myself to the construction shown, but desire to include all such modifications of. my improved device for accomplishing the result sought.

Secured to rotate with the counter shaft 1 is a. sheave 11 anchored to and adapted to be wound upon which is a cable 12, and in the operation of my improved propelling device, the free end of said cable is adapted to be attached to the whiflletree of the wagon, which has been disconnected from the wagon. As shown, said cable is provided with a hook 13 to provide for thus connecting said cable to the whiffletree, quickly and conveniently.

When it becomes necessary to employ my improved power transmitting mechanism, the whiflletree with the team hitched thereto is disconnectedk from the wagon and the rope or cable is attached thereto, the team is then driven forward in a direction to unwind said rope or cable 12 from the sheave 11, which will operate in an obvious manner to rotate the counter shaft 1 and, through the pinions 5, the gear wheels 6 and the rear wagon wheels 4. As the increase of power will result in a loss of movement, it may be necessary to wind the rope or cable 12 upon the sheave 11 a number of times in order to move the wagon a desired distance, either over a bad piece of road or up a steep inoline. In this event the progress of the wagon will be in a series of steps or stages, the horses being iirst driven ahead until the rope or cable 12 is unwound from the sheave 11, said rope or cable 12 rewound upon said sheave 11 and the horses again driven ahead as before.

To provide for conveniently rewinding the rope or cable 12 on the sheave 11, the counter shaft 1 is preferably provided with a crank 14 for turning said counter shaft. Also, in rewinding, it will be necessary to disengage the pinions 5 from the gear wheels 6, as otherwise the rear wheels 4: would prevent rotation of counter shaft 1.

In order to effectively apply the power for propelling the vehicle by means of my improved power mechanism it will, of course, bev necessary to guide the vehicle. rl`his may be doneI by means of the tongue of the wagon.- But, in accordance with my invenbar 16 to tliekreach 17, the bolt 18 for boltingl said sway-bar and reach together being interchangeable in a series of bolt holes 19 formed in said sway-bar, comprising a central bolt hole, which will lock the front axle 15 parallel with the rear axle and any desired number of holes 19 arranged in series on opposite sides of said central hole to provide for locking the front axle 15 in different angular positions relative to said rear axle, as it is desired to turn the wagon in one direction or the other and on a greater' or less curve.

W here my improved power mechanism is utilized for propelling a vehicle up an incline of such length that it becomes necessary to rewind the rope or cable 12 upon the sheave 11, it will be necessary to provide means to prevent the wagon from running backward down said incline while the rope or cable 12 is being rewound. While my invention contemplates any desired or approved means for this purpose, l prefer the means shown in the drawing which consists of a pawl 20 pivoted to a rigid part of the wagon frame, as shown to the body portion or box 21 of said vehicle, said pawl, as shown, being mounted in proper position to engage the teeth of a gear wheel 6. lhen in use, the pawl 20 is adapted to be supported in inoperative position by turning the same pivotally so that its free end may rest on a stop pin 22, likewise secured in the wagon box 21.

l claim 1. A wheeled vehicle and emergency means for propelling said vehicle, said means comprising a countershaft rotatably mounted in bearings on the frame of the vehicle, a gear wheel secured to rotate with a wheel of the vehicle, a pinion on said countershaft adapted to intermesh with said gear wheel, the bearings for said countershaft being adjustable to provide for effecting engagement and disengagement of the pinion on said countershaft with the gear wheel on said vehicle wheel, substantially as described.

2. A wheeled vehicle and emergency means for propelling said vehicle, said means comprising a countershaft rotatably mounted in bearings on the frame of the vehicle, a gear wheel secured to rotate with a wheel of the vehicle, a pinion on said countershaft adapted to intermesh with said gear wheel, the bearings for said countershaft being adjustable to provide for engaging said pinion with and disengaging it from said gear wheel, and means for securing the bearings for said countershaft in positions corresponding to engagement and disengagement of said pinion with said gear wheel, substantially as described.

3. A wheeled vehicle and emergency means for propelling said vehicle, said means comprising a countershaft, journal boxes in which said countershaft is rotatably mounted, links on said journal boxes, arms secured to the rear axle of the Vehicle to which said links are pivoted, a gear wheel secured to rotate with a rear wheel of said vehicle, a pinion secured to said countershaft adapted to intermesh with said gear wheel, and bars secured to the rear axle of said Vehicle which extend beneath the journal boxes for said countershaft, and means on said bar for engaging and supporting the journal boxes ror said countershaft in positions corresponding to engagement and disengagement of the pinion on said countershaft with said gear wheel, substantially as described.

4. A wheeled Vehicle and emergency means for propelling said vehicle, said means comprising a countershaft, journal boxes in which said countershaft is rotatably mounted, links on said journal boxes, arms secured to the rear axle of the Vehicle to which said links are pivoted, a gear wheel secured to rotate with a rear wheel of said Vehicle, a pinion secured to said countershaft adapted to intermesh with said gear wheel, and bars secured to the rear axle of said Vehicle which extend beneath the journal boxes for said countershaft, and means on said bar for engaging and supporting the 5. A wheeled vehicle and emergency means for propelling said Vehicle, said means comprising a countershaft rotatably mounted in bearings on the frame of the Vehicle, a gear wheel or wheels secured to rotate with the rear wheel Vor Wheels of the Vehicle, a pinion or pinions on said countershaft adapted to intermesh with said gear wheel or wheels, means for eii'ecting engagement and disengagement of said pinion or pinions with said gear wheel or Wheels, a sheave on said countershaft, and a rope or cable anchored thereto and adapted to be wound thereon by means of which said countershaft may be rotated by power outside of said Vehicle, a crank on said countershaft adapted for rotating the same to windy Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

